The NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Conference) Girls Hockey Tournament provided Neutral Zone Scouts an opportunity to evaluate some of the best female high school hockey players in North America head to head. The following are some of the players who stood out the most in games scouted in person by the NZ team. Games scouted vary between the Small, Large and Elite 8 playoffs. Report is solely based on play from the playoffs.
Wednesday 02/28/2024
Andover
Keira Bruen (Phillips Andover Academy, F, 2025) : Tall, long, high IQ player continues to improve. Kiera gives max effort every shift and is very effective at F1 as she disrupts play with her underrated speed. Very aware of her defensive responsibilities and her NZ play is commendable. Her length and motor are traits you cannot teach and with continued improvement year over year she will be a college hockey prospect.
Molly Boyle (Phillips Andover Academy, D, 2025, Yale) : Best player on the ice vs a very worthy opponent. Dictates play as soon as the puck is on her stick. Terrific vision, combined with effortless skating and refined stick skills give Molly a very refined game highly suited for the next level. Played more assertive and with more immediacy because her team needed the lift to win and she provided the heavy lifting. Assisting on a couple goals and adding much needed offense helped her team come out on top for the game we scouted.
Sarah Powers (Phillips Andover Academy, F, 2026) : Scored two goals and was dominant as a force in all 3 zones during the game. Hustle was clearly evident as was her high IQ. Anticipation and skating are two tangibles that immediately stand out as are her excellent hands and hard, accurate shot. At F1 and F2 she was excellent. Backchecking was apparent as was her physicality at point of attack.
Peyton Kennedy (Phillips Andover Academy, F, 2025) : Scored two goals and had her motor flying in high gear as she created all kinds of mischief against Deerfield. Her relentless pursuit of the puck at F1 and F2 showed up on the scoresheet. Her attack angles and high IQ give her game serious clout. Plays hard along the wall and results in her winning most 50/50s she gets in. Scored an under bar snipe displaying her fabulous shot.
Avery Rodeheffer (Phillips Andover Academy, G, 2025) : Earned a shut-out and third-star honors in this playoff game. Came up with several key saves during important moments of the game. Sheared shots wide when needed and gave up little in rebounds. Played aggressive at times playing the puck which stifled dump-ins, giving her team momentum when needed. Stayed tight to post on several wrap-arounds. Impressive vocally as she directed her D as dangerous forcheckers approached through the game.
Thayer
Morgan McGathey (Thayer Academy, F, 2025, Harvard) : Morgan played a lot of minutes and did her best to stay fast and play hard with a very short bench compared to the opposition. She moved the puck well on the powerplay and made sure she was passing the puck around to draw BB&N out of position. Her forechecks were strong and her board play was physical which helped gain more offensive zone time. The one time she was in a prime shooting area she made sure she made them pay with an absolute rip to the glove side to make things interesting with under 10 seconds to go.
BB&N
Hannah Weyerhaeuser (BB&N, F, 2025, Yale) : Hannah shined brightest when she had the puck on her stick. She was given 2 chances to score and she capitalized on both. One was a wraparound which required quick speed and edge work and the other was a partial break that squeaked in from keeping her feet moving.
Kate Glantz (BB&N, F, 2027) : Kate’s efforts in the game did not go unnoticed. She worked every shift and had effective forechecks where she not only brought pressure but had quite a few break ups to gain possession back for her team. She was the second star of the game for us for this reason.
Dexter
Maddie Murphy (Dexter Southfield School, D, 2026) : Maddie was very good at possessing the puck and controlling the game. She was very good at forcing the puck deep into Exeters’ zone and helping apply a ton of pressure. She was smooth on her breakouts and was confident with the puck.
Sawyer Merrill (Dexter Southfield School, F, 2026) : Sawyer had a strong game offensively. She earned a star of the game from the scouts for her 2 very important goals that helped her team achieve a good dominant win.
Exeter
Allie Bell (Phillips Exeter, G, 2025) : Allie did let up 4 goals but that does not show how well she truly played. She was sharp on her rebound control and coming up with important saves when her team was in the game.
Saturday 03/02/2024
Jaelyn Trudell (Groton, F, 2026) : Earned 1st Star of the game during the playoff game we scouted, Jaelyn clearly stood out as a force. The feisty winger was a going concern every shift for her opponent. Forced play by her relentless puck pursuit caused turnover after turnover resulting in her chipping in two goals and two helpers. Under bar goals show her very capable shot and her hands are soft, poised yet strong at point of attack.
Christina Scalese (Groton, F, 2026) : Tina dictated play every time she got possession of the puck. World class hands, deception and anticipation are clearly evident in her game. She sees the game unfold before her and adjusts to make the right play time after time. Her vision and high IQ are next level good. Her high skill level does not take a front seat to her max effort every shift. She plays a 200′ game and has 3 zone responsibilities down. Impressive shot netted her a beautiful goal despite being held by a defender to start the game.
Ella Nannene (Groton, F, 2025) : Scored a top-shelf, under-bar goal after causing a turnover in the NZ to get momentum for her team at a critical juncture. Ella continues to improve and her gains are clearly noticeable. Forced the play and took smart attack angles at F1 through the game. Kept her feet moving and finished checks when needed but her poise with the puck has improved. Drew a penalty with her tenacity dogging the puck.
Sydney Nelson (Groton, D) : Played an exceptionally strong game at D. Very consistent in her D zone coverage and was positionally sound in both NZ and DZ. Very alert in her play not to turn the puck over. Played a good gap game not giving her opponents any time to be creative. Moved puck up ice quickly as her headmans were accurate and timely. Kept plays alive crashing down in the OZone.
Loomis Chaffee
Megan Hosman (Loomis Chaffee, D, 2026) : Megan controlled the game on her stick for Loomis. Her possessions were strong and she was calm and collected with the puck until the final horn. Her breakouts were quick and she helped get her team up ice against a devastating nobles forecheck.
Leila Fournier (Loomis Chaffee School, G, 2024) : Leila had a great performance in a game that had a “somebody had to lose” type feel to it. She made big saves to keep her team only down one and her strong focus helped her smother shots and not give nobles any rebounds to slap home.
Nobles
Olivia Maffeo (Noble and Greenough School, D, 2024, Boston College) : Olivia offensively generated a lot of good chances for her team. She used her legs to get the puck up ice and was not afraid to cut to the net and get anything she could on the goalie.
Sophia Levering (Noble and Greenough School, D, 2024, Yale) : Sophia moved the puck very well and got her team up ice and out of her end which is so important, especially in a 1-0 game. Defensively she was tough along the boards and was okay with getting pucks off the high glass to put an end to any offensive possession against them.
Alexa Georgantas (Noble and Greenough School, F, 2028) : For someone who is a 2028 graduation year, Alexa was comfortable and relentless. Her forechecks made life tough for loomis defense. Her high motor was easily noticeable and the physicality she played at, in a high stress game, was impressive.
Maddie Krepelka (Noble and Greenough School, F, 2024) : Not on the scoresheet but needs to be recognized for the hard work she put into this game. Her physical play along the boards and in battles was key to the success of the game. Her forechecks were also strong and effective and her ability to get takeaways in open ice was also great to see.
Championship Sunday 03/03/2024
Groton
Christina Scalese (Groton, F, 2026) : We saw continued success from Christina on Sunday. She had no quit all game long and played with high energy which helped her bury the tying goal to give her team a chance at tying things up. She finished every play and took no shortcuts by always having her feet moving. Defensively she was engaged and what was most impressive was the way she finished the game. She was first to pucks and getting pucks to the slot and net until the final buzzer. She is a true gamer and will be back for redemption.
Maddie Cronan (Groton, F, 2025, Colgate) : Maddie had good break ups and caused a lot of turnovers. She was strong in her battles and defensively had good coverages. She played physical and used her body to separate pucks from the opposition. She also got the puck up ice well and got her team on the attack.
New Hampton
True Thompson (New Hampton School, D, 2025, UConn) : True had good chances on net to get some offense for her team. She moved the puck very well and transitioned the puck up ice quickly to spend as little time as possible in the defensive zone. Her breakouts were also quick and accurate and allowed her team to get on the rush.
Reese Luber (New Hampton School, D, 2025) : Reese was so good along the boards and in her battles. She played very physical and made it hard for Groton to create chances down low in the offensive zone. She was a factor all over the ice and played each shift as good as her last.
Vera Lee (New Hampton, G, 2024, UNH) : Her best moments came when they needed her the most. She played so well with under 5 minutes to go. She was faced with a ton of good chances and she was able to stay focused and turn them all aside. Named the small school MVP as well, congratulations.
BB&N
Alexsa Caron (BB&N, G, 2024, Stonehill) : In such a close game there were a lot of good and great performances. What Alexsa showed us was above everyone else. She was so square and confused in the crease. She was able to see everything in and not give Dexter any second chances. She saw a lot of good shots and stayed engaged through it all. The large school MVP is well deserved for her performance.
Williston
Olivia Ferebee (Williston, G, 2025) : Olivia played a very solid game. She was hit with a lot of rubber and a lot of grade A chances that she was able to turn aside. Nobles played well in the offensive zone and Olivia was up for the task. She kept pucks out of the crease and gave her team a real good chance at coming back.
Nobles
Olivia Maffeo (Noble and Greenough School, D, 2024, Boston College) : All game long she was good with the puck and not afraid to keep playing the game she has made a career at nobles doing. She used her feet to exit the zone, took chances down low at the net and it paid off with the 3rd goal of the game. She put chances on net all game and was a true stand out in the championship.
Sophia Levering (Noble and Greenough School, D, 2024, Yale) : Sophia moved the puck very well and found her passes tape to tape. She scored the game winner on an absolute snipe on the PK. What made her standout the most was her ability to keep things simple and make the right play with the puck.
Catherine McCool (Noble and Greenough School, F, 2028) : Catherine has a 2028 graduation year and her coach puts a lot of trust in her. She did not disappoint one bit. First goal of the game she buried home a rebound on the power play. Her game in the high traffic areas of the ice was strong and we will not be surprised if we see her have continued success in prep.
Anya Zupkofska (Noble and Greenough School, G, 2024, Brown) : Elite 8 MVP. Do we have to say anymore? Anya was truly the top player we saw maybe in all of the playoffs. She was confident, focused and engaged in each game and there was no shortness of that in the championship. She did not have an easy periods against Williston. They put a lot of great chances on her and she was able to make very strong saves. She moved well in her crease and was able to locate every shot from distance which impressed us.